sensitive topics ignite - dying

[emberstar]

IT WENT FROM A SPARK TO AN OPEN FLAME ⋆⁺₊⋆ //follows from this

In. Out. In Out.

Each breath came slowly, painfully as Emberstar's consciousness returned. The gifts from her friends in the stars had done their work, but it had not been enough. There was too much broken, too much to repair. Her eyelids fluttered. She caught glimpses of blood, her blood, scattered around her. Still leaking from her side. It was too much, even for nine lives worth. Even without seeing that though, she could feel herself dying. The feeling had become familiar by now.

This time though, it was for good.

In. Out. In. Out.

Emberstar thought about moving, but the idea did not turn to action. There was a tiredness like she had never known within her. It was cold. Whatever fire had lived within her was going out, moment by moment. She was bleeding it out onto the forest floor. More than anything she wanted to head toward the camp, to see the family she had created for herself one last time. She still had so much more to say, to all of them. Even a single day more would not be enough to say the all, but she would take it if she could just have it. She would take even a moment. They were the reason-

In. Out. In. Out.

Flickerfire wasn't at her side anymore. That was the only hazy thought she could muster. When her life had last faded from her they had been together. She desperately wanted to hope that her love had made it away, but no. The wound torn in the Shadowclan molly's side hovered close on the edges of her foggy mind. There was no surviving that. If they were both going to die, then it should have been together. They could have found their way to Starclan, side by side.

In. Out. In-

A breath turned into a wet, spluttering cough. Blood trickled down her chin. Her eyes wandered the canopy above her, examining every leaf and branch. Trying to engrave each and every detail of her home into her mind. She wanted to carry as much of it as she could with her into Starclan. After all, it reminded her of every happy day she had spent on this territory, the happiest in all her lives. She would never regret coming here, never regret what she had built here. It had cost her, oh had it cost her, but she would pay the price time and time again if she had the choice. It had all been worth it.

The only thing she could still want was to not die alone.

So she tried to hang on to whatever few moments she had left. ​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

Twigs snap and branches bend as the rescuers come crashing through the undergrowth. Caution is thrown to the wind; their leader is in trouble, taking on dogs by herself. She can hear her own heart pounding, feel the panicked breaths of her fellow ThunderClanners at her shoulders. The worst comes to mind...and it's the worst that they discover.

The clearing housing the adder-filled stones appears empty, but the stench of dog and blood fills the air. The deputy halts and takes a moment to think, ears and nose searching hard for any trace of the beasts. She looks quickly to two of her companions and swiftly orders, "Scout the area, see if the dogs are still around."

And then her eyes land on the body.

Emberstar is bathed in a pool of her own blood. Howling Wind can barely hear the yowl of distress that leaves her as she rushes forward and collapses at her side. "Emberstar! Emberstar, wake up!" Is she losing a life? It's so much blood...she's never seen so much blood. The tabby's white paws are painted crimson, she now realizes, but her attention is drawn to the shallow rise-and-fall of her leader's side. She's alive. "Emberstar, my friend..."​

 

[Rabbitnose]

Hurried steps rushed through the undergrowth alongside Howling Wind. Rabbitnose was choked with fear, he prayed and prayed for Emberstars safety. Sparkpaw had begged to join him, but he firmly denied it. He would not put his son in danger. Not when dogs were out.

He remembered himself being chased by dogs, losing his tail. The terror he felt was unmatched, and he was beginning to feel it all over again.

Arriving at Snakerocks, he frantically scanned the area that stunk of dog and blood. His claws left their sheaths, ready to rip into a dogs throat if need be.

And then Howling Wind finds her.

He looks over and his heart plummets. He's frozen, terrified as he lays eyes on Emberstar's bloody, mangled form. Trembling, he rushed over.

"E-Emberstar!" His voice was frantic, choked by fear.

This isn't happening. It can't be. She couldn't die like this- she was too sweet, too loving to go like this.

He crouched beside her, his friend. Respected leader.

"B-berryheart is coming- hold on...." He knew there wasn't much to be done. But he held onto hope, desperately clinging to the possibility she could be saved.

He fought the tears in his eyes. Life wasn't fair, and it reminded him in the cruelest of ways.
​

 

[Sunfreckle]

The stench of dog scent lingers, but its faint, they had run and perhaps they may not return given what had sent them fleeing was the clash of feline claws and the yowl of a leader standing resolute in their path. Sunfreckle trots quickly along behind Howling Wind and the rest of the patrol, at his mate's side thoug he remains standing in rigid horror as the bloodied sight unravels before them and both green eyes open wide. No cat could live such an injury, how many lives would it strip away? He watches the black striped deputy settle down to plead the other's focus remain, Rabbitnose at her other side insisting their medicine cat was well on his way but even knowing he had ripped Howling herself from the brink of death, he is not sure any cat no matter how StarClan blessed they might be could drag Emberstar back from this ledge...

She had died once. So he'd been told, he had not been present to witness it. In the early days of the clan he had clung to Rabbitnose's side with unease and fear at the new environment despite the fiery leader having welcomed them with open arms. ThunderClan was where he lived before, but now it was his home and it had all started with a kindness not too many of the wild cats had been willing to offer; Howling Wind included though she and he had come to a friendly relationship in time. The distrust to the softer side of life when you walked such a dangerous precipice was not something he could condemn nor judge harshly. It only made sense to feel a bitterness to those pampered few when each day here was not guaranteed. It was a gift, that's why they called the times the present. The ginger leader's first life had been cruely taken by one she thought to trust, her second in the fires that scorched their home and left them all looking forward through grief clouded eyes. Now she was leaving them again, but he did not need to be a medicine cat to know this might very well be the final time the fire might catch, that the flames would not come roaring back to life once snuffed out. It was horrifying, but he felt an eerie calmness that kept his voice from wavering as he spoke; offering the fallen leader at least this much rather than crying woefully as his heart wanted him to.
"Oh....Emberstar, you're a brave fool..." Reckless, impulsive, a spark that was never snuffed out. He'd named his son in honor of the leader's tenacity, of the fires that had tried to smother them before when the pine forest burned. So many cats had set paw in ThunderClan only to leave them all too soon, "Ragwortpaw is safe." She'd saved that apprentice a terrible fate, the daughter of the very cat who took her first life; Emberstar had held no grudge, she had not passed that distrust to the kits of the ex-Medicine Cat and it was that kindness he'd always remember. "...it....it's going to be okay."
Sunfreckle had moved forward finally, sat next to Rabbitnose to lean down and let the tip of his nose lightly touch bloodied fur, it was hard to tell if he was convincing her or himself but the tears finally won in their conquest of him and he let them go.


​

 

[Silverlightning]

War weighin' on my heart but I can't fall

Swift lengthy strides carry the ticked tabby forth as he remains hot on Howling Winds heels. She gives the orders to spread out and search the area and Silver wastes no time doing just that. Curved daggers slip from their sheathes as he lopes forward, prowling the clearing for any sight of the beastly hounds. Blood and dog scent hangs heavy thick a thick perfume, drowning out all other smells. Grey eyes skim the tree line in search of the mongrels but found nothing. His lips purse into a grim line as he turns again, eyes resting upon Emberstar mangled form and the pool of crimson she lay in. As he treks to their side Silver halts beside Sunfreckle, speaking just loud enough to be heard before falling into respectful silence. "The dogs have retreated for now, Howling Wind."

Empathy shimmers within the tom's eyes, the wounds sustained by Emberstar were too grave for any cat to survive. He did not need to be a healer to understand that. Yet the others that surrounded him seemed to think otherwise, softly reassuring the golden femme that she would pull through. Perhaps it had something to do with their faith in starclan. Silverlightning sets his jaw only to breathe in a soft breath before speaking once more. "You fought valiantly, Emberstar."​

Seekin' shelter from the storm on this blank road​

​

​

 

[BURNSTORM]

Burnpaw follows closely behind him grandmother, yellow eyes shining with anticipation but also fear. He is uncertain what his loud mouth has gotten him into and it’s the fear of the unknown that makes every paw step closer to snake rocks more and more difficult but he wants to be a strong warrior one day, wants to be big like his father and brave like his mother. He’s certain if she had not been heavy with kits she would be right there alongside him.

The metallic scent of blood hits his nose and for a moment, his heart flutters in excitement. Surely, his strong and brave mentor must have gotten the best of the dogs right? He’s near certain of it.

So certain, in fact, that when they come upon her dragging herself through the forest, on deaths door, he almost doesn’t believe it. The black furred tom stands there in shocked silence for a long moment. Other cats rush past him, but none of them are doing what he expected. Instead of pressing their paws to her wounds, trying to stop the bleeding, they are saying goodbye and that is what drives him forward. "No no no no no" he cries out, a desperate plea for whatever this was to stop.
"No you can’t leave me too no! Please Emberstar! You were supposed to teach me how to be strong like you. Please. Don’t leave…." he is not unfamiliar to death, to loss. This concept is not new to him but still, it hurts. His words are selfish, he knows it, and it makes his heart twist with guilt when he discovers he’s mad at her for abandoning him. Irrational. That’s what he tells himself. His anger is irrational and he knows it but he cannot stop feeling it. He falls back on his hindquarters into the dust and tears fall out of his eyes, though he does his best to stop them.

"She-she’ll come back right? She has too… that’s how it works right? She’s the leader, I thought leaders had nine lives…" he says, turning to the nearest cat. His voice is just barely a choked whisper, strangled by the tears that he holds back, the ones that haven’t escaped his sunshine colored eyes yet.
​

 

[Flycatcher]

As he runs, Flycatcher prays to StarClan that things will be alright. He hopes that Emberstar has fought off the snarling beasts. He hopes that if she has taken any injuries they are minor and not life-threatening, and that after some needed rest she would be back on her feet.

His hopes are soon dashed when they arrive on the scene. The smell of blood alone is enough to tell Flycatcher that all is not well. He comes to a nervous stop next to the rest of his clanmates. Flycatcher's eyes go wide at the sight of all the blood. It hurts him to look at it for too long, knowing deep down this much blood does not come from minor injuries. "Oh, Emberstar," He whispers softly, eyes finally landing on the leader's broken and bloodied form. Nearby, he hears Burnpaw ask if she'll come back, and though Flycatcher is not the one to answer, he looks at the younger tom with a sympathetic expression. "The dogs are gone now, Emberstar," Flycatcher tells her softly. "And Ragwortpaw made it back to camp. She's safe and well, albeit a bit rattled. You did so well. Now wake up and come back to us. ThunderClan still needs you Emberstar."​

 

[WILDHEART]

"LITTLE HELLIONS, KIDS FEELIN' REBELLIOUS"​

---

Focus! Keep your focus!
Wildpaw could feel his heart thundering in his chest and the roar of his pulse in his ears as he hurried after the warriors. This... this wasn't like the day the fox attacked Flamewhisker. This wasn't a case of a clan showing their strength and saving the day. The attackers had cleared out but had left their victims in their wake. Emberstar. He tried to avoid looking to begin with, instead he trained his focus on checking the area and ensuring that they weren't about to be pounced by the hounds.

The check was done and he made the uneasy return to the others. Every step felt heavy and looking at Emberstar proved to be... it wasn't easy. So much blood... the noises... He chewed the inside of his cheek as he fought to stay strong! But the tears pricked the corners of his eyes as the weight of the reality hit, and he came to realise that their lives were about to change. "She's... she's dying. She's not spent all her lives, has she?" Did this mean that StarClan's gifts had a limit? It was a frightening glimpse at reality.

"Please, Ember... don't go." The words squeaked out like a quiet plea and it broke the dam that led to sobs. He couldn't stop them, he didn't know how. Wildpaw could only stand there alone on shaking limbs.

​

★ ​

 

[BERRYHEART]

Canid and copper, woven in the air, knit together. As soon as the scent hit his nostrils Berryheart had felt great conflict about his speed of approach- blood had never been a sight he could stand, and yet Mama's instructions rang clear in his head, and his duty compelled him. Go straight to her, she'd said- he was not eager to shrug away her orders, nor the nervousness that such a grave situation managed to brew within him.

It was worse than he had thought. Ichor carpeted the clearing, the grass and snow darkened by the life-force of their leader. Strange that he had seen her in this sort of state before, and yet... back then, he had truly thought that injury could hardly get worse. Today he was proven wrong- something that he would normally take in his stride, but instead proved to be something he wished he had the power to reverse.

The wavering swim of his vision set in, the blood-scent filling his lungs, clouding his senses, sending his stomach lurching forward. It had always sickened him, this smell- and he knew he was not the only one, but how useless now that his head grew heavier, that his footsteps shuffled through the slush and leaves? "Huh-hmm," he slurred, attempting to ground himself with something resembling speech. He stumbled- faltered, but did not fall. Every ounce of his energy was being put into not fainting. Closing in on Sparky, dragging his feet, the world faded between bruise-purple darkness and dizzying pinwheels of light.

Against all odds- askew eyes of green, vision aswim, found their leader's face. "I haff to help you," he murmured, speech fighting against the slant of his jaw. On this edge of consciousness, he could not focus on enunciation as diligently as he always had. "I can't- ssstand this." His tone hitched a little, thickened with emotion. Words that held double-edged meaning. She needed to arise- even if weakly. Arise to the arms of help. It was not right to see such a flame of a cat reduced to cinders. ​

[ PENNED BY PIN ]​

 

[FINCHCATCHER]

It's hard on his legs, the run to Emberstar's aid. A pace he hadn't been able to go at since before the wildfire nearly took his leg from him, a pace pushed by panic and fear - carelessness in his pawsteps.

He'll hurt later, he knows this. Knows it by the twinge of pain already in his shoulder, but Emberstar needs help. His friend needs help.

It's horrific, the sight they come to - copper thick in the air, crimson thick on the ThunderClan founder's fur.

"Ember..." Finchcatcher can't help the sob that he chokes out.

How many times? How many times had the flame-point come to his aid? Defended him?

She'd brought him back to the pine forest's camp, when a mouse was cause for violence - when his wounds had seemed like the worst thing in the world, the amount of blood spilling from him the most he'd seen, because, he was only a kid, and her, younger than he is today. An amount of blood that now doesn't compare to what spills out of his friend.

She'd taught him to defend himself, taught him what to do, in case an ambush were to ever happen again. Skills used in the Great Battle, skills used to protect his brother in a moment where he didn't even need protecting.

And, when the guilt of the Great Battle had gone too far, when his warrior name felt like yet another scar, Emberstar had let him into ThunderClan. Emberstar had protected him from Cinderfrost's claws, defended him once more.

And Finchcatcher... Well... Finchcatcher couldn't even stop this from happening. Couldn't arrive quick enough to save his friend from the dogs' fangs. She's supposed to live forever, supposed to outlive him, with all the lives she has, and yet...

Finchcatcher doesn't know if she'll make it out of this. Doesn't know if nine - or, however many lives she'd had prior - would be enough for such a gruesome fate.

"Ember... You can't... You need to stay here." the scarred warrior stifles out, stepping closer to her form, "I need... I-I need my friend, Ember, stay here."

He doesn't care about the dogs - doesn't care to watch for them, doesn't care if they arrive to strike him next.

If it means Emberstar comes out alive, he doesn't care.
​

 

[RACCOONSTRIPE]

Their march towards the dying ThunderClan leader is grim, full of tension, the possibility of battle still stringing between them in taut threads. Raccoonstripe pads beside Silverlightning, his jaw clenched in a somber expression even as his eyes blaze with anger. Mangy, disgusting beasts, infiltrating their home, attacking their apprentice, their leader.

Howling Wind orders them all to scout, and he listens without hesitation. The blood soaked into the forest floor is devastating to witness, the scraps of golden and black fur that litter the battleground flying away like loose flower petals, taken to the skies. He can scent nothing but blood -- feline blood, dog blood -- and it causes his mouth to water with faint nausea.

But the beasts have left. Perhaps Emberstar has managed to drive them away. If not, they'll be back soon to find what they must expect is an easy meal. His claws unsheathe at the thought, and his muscles itch, twitch, at the prospect of battle with one of the bastards who'd torn Emberstar to pieces.

She lives, he can see that in the slow glaze of her gray eyes, the rise of her flank, but something about her looks... final, his mind whispers.

All of them are caught, mired in this spiderweb of grief. The tabby shakes his head, tears welling in dark brown eyes that he does not allow to fall. "I... I don't know if you can help her," he stammers to Berryheart, and as he says it, he believes it to be true. Emberstar will lose another life, but this one -- this one she will not come back from, will she?

He bows his head in prayer, hoping he's wrong.​

[ PENNED BY MARQUETTE ]​

​

 

[Hollow Tree]

Dogs. Ragwortpaw is safe. Where is Emberstar? The scent of blood is thick. Who’s dying? No. No, no, no, please Starclan. We need to save Emberstar. We need to chase off the dogs.

Hollow Tree’s mind was racing. Following her clanmates blindly. She isn’t as on guard as she should be when the scent of blood fills her nose. The warrior feels her heart sink into her gut upon the sight. Emberstar was dying or dead already. But it would be okay, right? She’s got more than one life. Right? Everyone around her looks so grim but she has to believe it will be okay. Moving around to keep her paws busy. Surely there was stuff that needed to be done.

The brown feline pads over to the deputy. Her yellow hues casting a sorrowful look at Emberstar. Stay strong. Berryheart would take care of Emberstar. Howling Wind would take care of the clan for now. "“Mom. Should we try to find the dogs? To find out where they went?” she asks in a low tone. If the dogs were heading anywhere near the camp, they would need to be prepared. And she wanted to be able to tell Emberstar the dogs were gone when she got better. ​

[ you fall through the trees . tags ]​

 

[covecatcher]

Oh- Stars- the scent of blood is so heavy in the air it makes her beyond sick, her stomach queasy at the thought, she rushes behind Raccoonstripe. She stays as he leaves, stomach churning. Her face would have remained even, calm if not for the horrified smile that breaks through her façade, pupils pinprick and her breathing picks up, theres so much blood and Emberstar is dying.

And the wails, the sobs, oh Stars the sobs are so loud in her ears. It was the same with Morningpaw, but why could she handle that and not this? The last was a child, is she broken? Emberstar lays flayed. Breathing picks up and the sounds are painfully loud now, if she could rush away now she would, but... But cats need comfort, cats need to be happy, cats need to stop crying, cats need Emberstar-

She'd live! She was their leader! She would live! She would, she'll get up, she'll laugh, she will get up like so many times before. Why is she not getting up? Why is she still laying there. What was going on? Leaders have nine lives. Teeth bite, grind together, a noise in her mind to drown out the words being spoken.

Deep breath. Calm. Berryheart was murmuring and he doesn't look like he's in the best condition so she steps forwards to do what she does best, reassurance. "Y-You got this!" the smile she sends him is too big for her face, doesn't reach her eyes, shes faltering why is she faltering she isn't supposed to falter- Her whole body aches and her legs threaten to buckle beneath. "You're- You're okay. Just breathe." advice she should take herself. But theres nothing more to be said, if she talks again she'll cry.

Wide eyes flit over the form of upset Wildpaw, of distraught Finchcatcher, of Burnpaw just barely holding on to his tears. Emberstar means the world to the clan, a friendly face, Cove liked her! She can't die, but the wounds aren't healing, and just quietly she hears Raccoon's words. In the back of her mind she knows hes right, she refuses to believe it- She shoves her face in to his shoulder to suppress any sobs that may choke their way from her throat.

Words go unsaid. Emberstar was dying. Proclamations of love, care, adoration are spoken. Can she even hear them? Go peacefully, they'll take care of you. She's gonna be sick.
​

✦ ★ ✦​

 

[emberstar]

IT WENT FROM A SPARK TO AN OPEN FLAME ⋆⁺₊⋆ In. Out. In. Out.

The sound of approaching pawsteps made her heart leap. Emberstar wanted to scent the air, but all she could smell and taste was rusty blood. With effort, she forced her eyes open. Then she saw them, her clanmates, racing toward her.

A sense of peace fell over her. At last, her family was here. She was home.

"Howling Wind..." she croaked, coughing up blood. Her words were slow, slurred, and simple. It was the best she could manage. Every second was a fight to stay alive. Her last great battle. "You're here. I'm glad." What else could she say? There was too much. Even if she had all her wits, it would have been a struggle to say it all. Next to her mother and Flickerfire, there had been no cat she trusted more. There was no one else she could imagine having as her deputy. Truly, she'd been blessed with the wisdom of the stars when she made that fateful choice. "Protect Thunderclan. Our family..." Words failed her. For a moment, her eyelids fluttered.

There was something she had forgotten. Ragwortpaw, was Ragwortpaw safe? She didn't know.

She didn't know.

Her attention was stolen by Rabbitnose, with his panicked tone and stuttered words. Emberstar wanted to help him, set his mind at ease. It might be the last thing she was able to do for him. She couldn't imagine how to though. The only hope he seemed to have was that Berryheart would save her, and she didn't have the heart for lies anymore. The dogs had torn it out of her.

It was Sunfreckle who gave her the words, along with the reassurance that Ragwortpaw was safe. The last of her worry melted out of her. "Yes." She agreed with him, attempting to smile. All she did was show the blood in her mouth. "It going to be... okay." Her clan was safe and she would be with the stars soon. All was right in the world. That was the reassurance she could give Rabbitnose, give them all.

Silverlighting told her she had fought well. That was what she was good at, it seemed. Fighting and dying. She wondered how many cats had fought as much as she had, or had died as much as she had. Scarce few, she had to imagine. Still, his words brought her some comfort. If only by the kindness he intended with them. He was a good man. "Thank you." She whispered.

Burnpaw next. Worse than Rabbitnose, he cried, sobbed, wailed for her. More than anyone else, he needed her. She put all her heart into getting her words to him through. "You. ARE. Strong." Each word was forced out, independent of the others. It was important to her that he knew that. " I'm so proud..." She was, fully and truly. For him, more than the others, her heart broke. It pained her, that she would not live to hunt and fight alongside the great warrior she was sure he would become. He deserved that much.

Emberstar's ear flicked as Flycatcher told her to come back to them. "Not this time." She told him simply. For one cat, she had cheated death far too many times. This was it. It scared her, what he said next. Thunderclan couldn't need her, not anymore. She had done all she could for it. There was a reason, though, she had chosen Flycatcher for her lead warrior. Ever dutiful, ever capable. Desperately, she had to beleive that it would be him, and cats like him, that would carry the clan on without her. "Needs... YOU..." Was all she could manage to get through. She had to hope it was enough for him to understand.

Another panicked voice called her attention. Wildpaw, openly sobbing. He had ever been the problem child, but he was just that. A child. She could hold no grudge against him, especially not now. One day, he would grow out of it and become a great warrior to, she was certain. Any apprentice brave enough to challenge the leader would be. "Be brave..." she tried to console him with what little words she had left.

Dutifully, her medicine cat made his way to her side. Trying, desperately, fruitlessly, to do his job. It hurt her, to watch him make himself miserable trying to resist the inevitable. Her head inched forward, pushing him away weakly with her nose. "Stop." She told him, in no uncertain terms. "It's over." Her gaze swept over him, appraising him. The medicine cat the stars had chosen, after all the mishaps their first selection had caused. The clan would need him perhaps more than anyone. "You have..." she began, forcing herself through the statement with effort. "...my trust." She forced her eyes up to meet his. Imploring him to understand.

Again, her eyelids fluttered.

Finchcatcher. One of her oldest and first friends. She was glad he was here, it was fitting. There were so few left in her clan who had survived the great battle, who remembered the friends they had lost that day. The clan needed cats like him. As many as it could get. That day could never be forgotten. Even when it was him that asked her to stay though, she shook her head. "I can't. Our friends..." she began, before being wracked by coughs. "...calling." Emberstar concluded simply. She was finally going to be with them. Everyone they had lost. She was going to get the see the ones she had loved again, and finally get to know the ones she had never had a chance to. He was one of the few here who might understand that.

Two of Howling Wind's kin take up the rear. Both carrying out the duty of ensuring that the dogs were well and gone it seemed. Good. The clan would need responsible cats like them. They stood away from her, but she wished she had the strength to cry out to them. To tell them how direly their clanmates needed them. Their dedication deserved reward, but that reward was no longer hers to give.

The smile Covecatcher gave Berryheart reminded Emberstar of herself. Though she hoped that was not how she had looked. Trying to keep everyone happy, never show a crack. She knew the pain of that all to well. She would not stand to see it another. "It's okay." She reassured her. So many things, she tried to communicate with two words. Most off all, that it was okay to cry now. That was a lesson she had learned too late in her life. One that she had barely begun to learn, really.

As her gaze swept over all the cats surrounding her, her heart soared with pride. What a wonderful thing she had created. If this was what she had spent her lives on, than she had spent them well.

Thunderclan.

It was so much bigger than her, it was so much to be proud of. How could she ever be lonely again, knowing that she had brought something so wonderful into this world.

They all blurred into one in her teary gaze.

"Love you." She whispered, quiet as the last sparks of a dying flame, as her eyes slipped closed. Her expression was peaceful and blissful, in stark contrast to the blood and panic all about her. Behind her eyes, she saw stars.

In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In. Out.

In.

Out.

Then nothing more. ​

 

[FAWNCLOUD]

a stampede of paws drum against the muddied grounds of the earth, bodies of all shapes and sizes streaming through the dense undergrowth like a pack of wolves giving chase to a fleeing deer. howling wind plunges through the brambles with her following in tow as everyone floods into snakerocks with bristled pelts and unsheathed talons prepared to rescue their leader from canine jaws but it seemed like they were too late.

although these snake-infested parts are drenched in the sour smell of dog there are none in sight, a few split off from the group to check the perimeters only for silverlightning to return with confirmation that the beasts have retreated for now leaving thunderclan to look upon the gut-wrenching scene they left behind.

emberstar is nothing but a crumpled heap on the floor laying in an slow growing pool of her own gore that rings alarms of panic throughout the crowd, she is sucking in pitful amounts of air into struggling lungs and with every breath she takes it starts to sound more wet and viscous. fawncloud watches on from his spot among his friends whose voices warble with pleas for the flame point to hang on just a little longer. drooped ears lift up when emberstar begins to speak but not without struggle, her words are an attempt at comfort and easement to everyone around her yet the chocolate sepia could not shake off this underlying feeling that these were spoken in a way that meant finality.

olive eyes begin to glaze over with the promise of tears as a whisper of love is spoken to everyone from the fading molly before they are left listening to her breathing again yet this time it begins to taper off until ember is silent surrounded by the whimpers and cries of her clanmates.

'farewell emberstar. . .'
​

[ LIFE HAPPENS WHEREVER YOU ARE. ]​

​

 

[Flycatcher]

In the time he is stood there, watching Emberstar with a pained expression, more cats appear. Like him and those before him, they bego for her to stay, to try and find a way to help her.

Flycatcher hadn't wanted to answer Burnpaw's earlier question because he simply could not say for certain whether she would come back or not. If only he knew how true that was. For a long while he clings to the hope that things will be okay, that even if Emberstar is losing a life now, with Berryheart's help she will be okay. She will have more lives to come back to. She will rest and she will get better. But as he watches and Emberstar begins to speak to them he starts to realise that there is an air of finality to this situation. That they are listening to Emberstar's last words. She is saying goodbye.

When she speaks to him, he looks at her with rapt attention, eyes beginning to glaze over with the first sign of tears. Her words are strained but he can understand what she is saying. "I will try, Emberstar," He promises with a shaky voice. Flycatcher bows his head solemnly. "I will make you proud." This time his words are more of a promise to himself than they are to Emberstar. Not only had he been ThunderClan's first lead warrior, but he had also been Emberstar's first lead warrior. For as long as he still drew breath he would continue to serve the clan with honour and respect. He would make Emberstar proud.

A few more words are spoken before Emberstar breathes her last, making a final declaration of love to the clan she had founded. "Farewell, Emberstar," Flycatcher says softly, this time choosing not to hide the emotion in his voice. "ThunderClan loves you too..."​

 

[HOWLINGSTAR]

Her clanmates seem to see something she cannot. That Emberstar is dying one final time, that her wounds are too grave even for StarClan. But still, she clings onto that hope, because how could there be a ThunderClan without Emberstar? It's impossible, something the clan surely will not deal with for seasons upon seasons to come. But that simply isn't true, because the creamy-furred leader looks upon her with a weakening gaze and calls her by name. She tells her to protect ThunderClan, and suddenly tears form in the deputy's eyes. There is an argument on her tongue, but it dies there as she finally realizes. This is it. Emberstar is dying.

"I will," She croaks, throat tight with emotion. "I will protect our clan, Emberstar, with everything I have." It's not fair. She's too young, too full of life and hope and optimism to meet this fate so soon.

The light leaves her eyes. Her chest stops rising. Tears are now rolling gently down striped cheeks and Howling Wind feels her head drop, eyes squeezing shut. "She walks with StarClan now...." She murmurs solemnly, ears falling flat against her head. Emberstar is in the stars, leaving the tabby to fill her pawsteps.​